Turkish-American celebrities
Celebrities with Turkish ancestry.
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- Director
- Actor
- Writer
A graduate of Hacettepe University Conservatory of Performing Arts Theatre Department, Aclan Bates later received an MA in Directing for Theatre and another in Theatre Education. He was a leading actor and director for the Turkish National Theatre in Ankara, directing Jean Paul Sartre's "Flies" and Bertolt Brecht's "The Good Person of Szechuan." After looking at the world through the lens of a camera, he decided that directing film could be far more exciting than working on the stage. To that end, Aclan came to California and completed an MFA in Film Directing at American Film Institute. He went on to win Best Short at the Ankara International Film Festival with his thesis film, "Condemned." The Turkish National Theatre then invited him to direct their entry to the Black Sea Coast International Theatre Festival. Aclan undertook the full musical production of George Orwell's "Animal Farm," receiving critical acclaim and an invitation to open the fall theatre season with the production at Ankara's Grand Theatre. His production of Kafka's "The Trial" at Write Act Repertory received rave reviews in Los Angeles, a daring and unique project. Aclan directed the first Turkish film, Broken Angel (Melegin Sirlari), in Los Angeles Holywood.- Producer
- Writer
- Art Department
Beginning in theatre and music, Leslie first found her niche in performance in Rome and later San Diego. Upon completing a degree in Marketing and English Literature from San Diego State University, with an award for Outstanding Journalistic Achievement, she then moved behind the scenes to represent classical talent and theatres, doing booking and public relations. She also went to law school, graduating at the top of her class and winning awards for her writing for law review and moot court. Next came more travel, this time to the exotic land of Turkey, as a contract lawyer and marketing representative for several different companies. She continued to write, albeit for her business, and built her company to one of the top mid-size representatives of American firms in Turkey. Finally, her hunger for the creative led her to return to the California where Leslie completed an MFA in Screenwriting at American Film Institute. After graduation, she formed uniCvisions, LLC, which produces and executive produces feature films for theatrical and televised release, live theatre productions and short form for TV and the web.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Born in Northridge, California and while pursuing Pre-Med at the University of Santa Barbara, Ossie Beck enrolled in acting to balance the intensity of his biology and chemistry courses. Originally intending to be a pharmacist, Ossie instead found early success in business as a Senior Consultant and ultimately became Employee of the Year for International Dairy Queen. But it was not meant to be. He soon left his soft-serve life to pursue another melting passion - acting.
Upon his return to his native Southern California, Ossie studied acting in Los Angeles with Margie Haber, Lesly Kahn and at the Odyssey Theatre with Ron Sossi. He is also an Alumni of the World Famous Improv Olympic. Ossie's preparation met the perfect opportunity when he was cast from a World-Wide search by Steven Spielberg to Co-Star in the film Munich (2005) . Nominated for 5 Oscars, written by Tony Kushner, starred Eric Bana, Daniel Craig and Geoffrey Rush.
Ossie went on to star in the pilot Screening Party (2008), based on the best-selling book from Dennis Hensley, and landed various television guest spots on Girls Behaving Badly (2002) with Chelsea Handler, _All of Us(2003) and others. He also starred in the film _Anthem(2007)_ , a film handpicked by Steven Spielberg to give director Jarrett Lee Conaway the opportunity at a DreamWorks contract. Ossie spent the later portion the 2008 entertaining thousands in Spain, Greece, Italy, Turkey and Malta. It's was ironic twist of fate, exactly three years after Ossie was there for filming Munich (2005) and it's also the birthplace of his grandparents.
Of Greek, Israeli and Bulgarian extraction, Ossie has lived an interesting life full of culture clashes, multiple languages and well...he's a red-head.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Bilge Ebiri is known for New Guy (2003), Purse Snatcher (2006) and The Barber of Siberia (1998). He has been married to Jeanne O'Brien-Ebiri since 27 October 2005.- Ayda Field was born Ayda Sabahat Evecan on May 17, 1979, in Los Angeles County, California, USA to a Turkish father and an American mother. She is an actress, known for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006), Back to You (2007) and Loose Women (1999). She is fluent in Turkish in addition to her native English. She has been married to British singer Robbie Williams since August 7, 2010. They have four children
- Producer
- Director
- Editorial Department
Stephen Herek was born on 10 November 1958 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Critters (1986), Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) and Mr. Holland's Opus (1995).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Mehmet Oz was born on 11 June 1960 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for John Q (2002), Mom and Dad (2017) and The Dr. Oz Show (2009). He has been married to Lisa Oz since 29 June 1985. They have four children.- Bahar Sahin was born on 4 May 1997 in Ankara, Turkey. She is an actress, known for Travel Mates 2 (2018), Good Game: The Beginning (2018) and Cruel Istanbul (2019).
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Neil Sedaka was born on 13 March 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Deadpool (2016), Transsiberian (2008) and Better Off Dead (1985). He has been married to Leba Strassberg since 11 September 1962. They have two children.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Cenk Uygur was born on 21 March 1970 in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a producer and writer, known for The Young Turks (2005), TYT Sports (2010) and TYT University (2011). He has been married to Wendy Lang since 2008. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
Popular leading man in 1940's Hollywood who, with his suave demeanor, exotically handsome looks and well-modulated voice, was first called upon to portray mysterious or villainous characters. Soon he would be teamed with other "exotics" (e.g. Maria Montez and Sabu) in a series of escapist adventures, filmed in glorious Technicolor and set in lands of fable, which proved most popular with movie audiences of the World War II years. But with the end of the war, his career (like that of Montez) would decline. He ultimately returned to his city of birth to pursue opportunities in commercial photography.- Ayda Field was born Ayda Sabahat Evecan on May 17, 1979, in Los Angeles County, California, USA to a Turkish father and an American mother. She is an actress, known for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006), Back to You (2007) and Loose Women (1999). She is fluent in Turkish in addition to her native English. She has been married to British singer Robbie Williams since August 7, 2010. They have four children
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Bea Benaderet had a remarkable career in radio and television. In the earlier days of radio, before television, she provided the voice for numerous names of characters on the radio, on shows like "Fibber McGee and Molly," "My Favorite Husband" with Lucille Ball & "The Jack Benny Show. She was born in New York City but raised in San Francisco and made her radio debut when she was 12 years young. After doing voice-overs and various roles, Orson Welles gave her a regular role on "Campbell Playhouse." Bea made a smooth move from radio to television as she was cast in the role as Blanche Morton in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). It was because of her role as Blanche that she could not accept the part of Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy (1951), which was offered to her by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She also provided the voice for several Warner Brothers cartoons, usually for females (those Mel Blanc could not do), like Tweety's owner, "Granny". Later, she worked with Blanc again on one of the most famous cartoons, Tweetie Pie (1947). It was 1947's Academy Award winning animation short of the year, featuring "Tweety", (the yellow Canary) & "Sylvester, the Siamese Cat".Voice of Betty Rubble- Jack Bannon was born on 24 March 1991 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Pennyworth (2019), The Imitation Game (2014) and Endeavour (2012).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jason Davis was born on 14 October 1984 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for Rush Hour (1998), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) and Recess (1997). He died on 16 February 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Tarik Ergin was born on 7 June 1961 in Hingham, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor, known for Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Red Shoe Diaries (1992) and Improper Conduct (1994).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Zachary Laoutides is an American actor and writer born in Chicago. In 2008 Laoutides was the finalist for Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment nationwide talent search for new actors. Laoutides became solely selected representing the best in the United States.
In 2014 Laoutides and Mónica Esmeralda León formed the first Latino film studio Ave Fenix Pictures in Chicago and the Midwest. They are also founders of the cinematic approach today coined as La Raza filmmaking.
Laoutides earned recognition for his role, writing and acting in Adios Vaya Con Dios an Official Selection at the 2014 Bel Air Film Festival. In 2016 Laoutides wrote and acted in Arise from Darkness with critics likening his performance to Javier Bardem's character Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. In 2017 the Huffington Post praised Laoutides enactment as homage to Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando for the portrayal of Louis Katz in the film Black Ruby. The film earned Laoutides nominations in London, Rome and wins in Los Angeles.
Laoutides was named Mogul's Next Generation of Hollywood's Rising Stars for 2019.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Hal Ozsan (b. Halil Ozsan) was born in Northern Cyprus and raised in the United Kingdom in the East London suburb of Havering.
He was educated at Brentwood School, Essex.
His first major recognition came for his role as Todd Carr (the on the final two seasons (2001-2003) of Dawson's Creek (1998) Following "The Creek", Ozsan appeared regularly as the playboy fallen angel, Azazel in ABCF's Fallen (2007), and as Cassidy, the double-dealing long lost brother of Kyle Traeger in the final season of Kyle Xy (2009) and as Miles Canon in 90210 (2008) Other notable television performances include a leading role as Joey DiMarco in CBS' critically acclaimed television movie remake of Helter Skelter (2004).
Ozsan's first film appearance came playing opposite Al Pacino in a supporting role in S1m0ne (2002).
Between 2006-2008, Ozsan took a virtual hiatus from acting to serve full-time, as singer-songwriter for LA based Rock 'n' Roll band, Poets and Pornstars, Signed to an independent record label, they received national radio airplay, a North American tour and prestigious opening slots for Bon Jovi; the re-formed Alice in Chains; Muse and others. Songs written by Ozsan have been featured films and television shows (So You Think You Can Dance, Californication, Little Athens, Undead or Alive.)
He currently lives in Hollywood, California.- Murat Han was born on 1 May 1975 in Ankara, Turkey. He is an actor, known for Mutluluk (2007), Vazgeç Gönlüm (2007) and Beyond the Trophy (2012).
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Nicholas Kadi (birth name Nameer El-Kadi) is a classically trained New York stage actor. He first garnered attention in Hollywood as Gaw, one of the lead cavemen in the Academy award winning prehistoric epic "Quest For Fire". He began his career with the New York Children's Theater. His stage credits include extensive work at La MaMa E.T.C. in N.Y., where he taught movement for actors and appeared in countless productions. In L.A. he has appeared at the Ahmanson theater, and was a member of the Laurel Grove Acting Company.
In films and television, he has portrayed a diverse range of nationalities including Palestinian (Navy Seals (1990)), Russian (Murder, She Wrote (1984)), Greek ("Perfect Strangers") and French (Glee (2009)). As an alumnus of the prestigious Decroux mime studio in Paris, he used his movement skills in an animatronic gorilla suit to critical acclaim as "Ape" in George of the Jungle (1997) and continued his animatronic work in Congo (1995). (He also voiced a marmot and a marmoset on two different episodes of The Wild Thornberrys (1998).) Kadi helped the Henson Company develop their motion capture system involving puppetry. He was a puppeteer in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) and Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge (2014). As a motion capture artist, Kadi appeared as a toy soldier in Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006).
While filming of Quest for Fire (1981) in Scotland, Kadi was injured. He later married Brenda Lyon, the unit nurse who cared for him, three weeks after they met. They have a daughter, Meghan.- Animation Department
- Art Department
- Writer
- Actress
- Visual Effects
- Additional Crew
Eren Ozker was born on 25 July 1948 in Ankara, Turkey. She was an actress, known for The Muppet Show (1976), The Muppet Movie (1979) and Frankenhooker (1990). She was married to William Bogert. She died on 25 February 1993 in New York City, New York, USA.- Producer
- Director
- Editor
Born in Istanbul to Turkish and American parents, Emre Sahin, is an award-winning film and television director based in Los Angeles, California and Istanbul, Turkey. After studying Television/Film at Emerson College in Boston, Emre moved to Los Angeles and began directing and editing documentary and reality television shows for networks such as ABC, ABC Family, MTV, and VH1.
His short film Canta was selected to screen at over 30 film festivals around the world, and won Best Cinematography at the Beverly Hills Film Festival, Audience Choice Award at the West Chester Film Festival, Best Foreign Short at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, and was named the Best Film of 2005 by Turkuaz magazine. The Palm Springs International ShortFest and Rhode Island International Film Festival chose Canta to screen as part of their Best of the Festival, a touring showcase of the festivals' top films.
In 2007, Emre and partner Sarah Wetherbee, created, directed and executive produced the History Channel's Cities of the Underworld with Authentic Entertainment, one of the top 5 most watched series in the cable network's history. This led Emre to establish Karga Seven Pictures with partners, Sarah Wetherbee and Kelly McPherson in 2008 where he has executive produced the series How Booze Built America with Mike Rowe for Discovery, Futurescape with James Woods and Alien Encounters for Science Channel, as well as numerous series and specials for networks including History, Discovery, National Geographic, TLC, Travel Channel, ID, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Animal Planet, Weather Channel, and MTV.
Emre wrote, directed and edited the feature film 40, shot on location in Istanbul, Turkey, which had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011 and won the New Voices/New Visions Special Jury Mention at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for its "energy and stylish direction." His next feature is The Team, a feature film set in the turbulence of today's current social-economical climate in Turkey, as a group of youths from the back streets of Istanbul overcome their personal differences to come together to form a team for a street soccer tournament.
Emre is attached to direct Seven Days Waiting for Davis Entertainment and Brad Jensen. The feature,follows a war vet suffering from PTSD, a financial executive contemplating suicide, and a young woman seeking revenge for a past crime. Their lives intersect during a seven-day waiting period following the purchase of a firearm.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Onur Tukel was born on 5 August 1972 in Taylorsville, North Carolina, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Applesauce (2015), That Cold Dead Look in Your Eyes (2021) and Richard's Wedding (2012).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Lev Yilmaz is known for Hierarchy (2002), Tales of Mere Existence (2002) and Tales of Mere Existence: Protege (2000).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Ozman Sirgood is a Turkish-American actor who is loved and watched in more than 65 countries across Eastern and Central Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and South America. His iconic role as "Ibni Arabi" in the hit series "Resurrection: Ertugrul has won him a dedicated international fan base as well as critical accolade, building on his characterization of the charming villain "Aron Feller" in the legendary TV action drama "Valley Of The Wolves: Ambush".
Ozman is known for the versatility of his characters, ranging from dangerous criminals to kind wise-men. Ozman makes his home in Los Angeles, California and his career spans 17 years and three continents.
Ozman was born as Osman Soykut in Ankara, Turkey. His heritage includes East European roots on his mother's side and Crimean from his father's. He attended Frankfurt International School and TED Ankara Koleji and holds a B.A. in Architecture from the Middle East Technical University.
He moved to California in 1984 and began his acting career in 1989. In 2001, he began training with Milton Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, continuing until Milton's death in 2008.
Ozman had quick success as an actor in Los Angeles and played in many productions including Charmed, Alias, The Bold And The Beautiful, The Hot Chick, Art School Confidential and others, in the first few years of his career.
In 2007, Ozman went to Istanbul after accepting a lead role in the TV drama "Iki Yabanci". Quickly gaining a reputation as a skilled actor, he continued with bigger roles in "Pars Narkoteror" and "Adanali".
1n 2009, he was cast as the suave and deadly Aron Feller in the phenomenal TV action drama "Valley Of The Wolves: Ambush". In 2014, he was cast as "Ibn-i Arabi" in the historical TV drama "Dirilis - Ertugrul", which became an immediate hit. Later, he was cast as "Deputy Governor Mazhar" in Terry George's 2016 film epic, "The Promise".
Ozman is followed closely by fans of many nationalities spread across the world. An avid linguist, Ozman speaks fluent German in addition to Turkish and English, and continues his study of 13 other languages.- Actor
- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Lombardo Boyar was born on 1 December 1973 in El Paso, Texas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Happy Feet (2006), Brother (2000) and Big Ass Spider! (2013). He has been married to Terri Gutormson since 20 May 2009.- Actress
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Melisa Asli Pamuk is a Dutch citizen. Her family is from antique multicultural city Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkey. She is beauty pageant titleholder, actress and model who won the title of Miss Turkey 2011 on Thursday 2 June 2011. Pamuk accepted the crown from Gizem Memic, Miss Turkey 2010 beauty pageant titleholder. She enrolled on a Psychology degree at University of Amsterdam but abandoned it later due to her desire to focus on her modeling career. She also won the title of "Best Promising" in Best Model of Turkey 2009 and stands 1.76 m. She is fluent in Turkish, English, Dutch and German and speaks a bit of French. She began modeling at the age of 14.
A native of Istanbul, Melisa competed in Miss Turkey held in the TIM Show Centre in Istanbul on June 2, 2011 and won the title of Miss Turkey 2011. As the official representative of her country, she competed in Miss Universe 2011 in Brazil but Unplaced.- Actress
- Art Department
- Additional Crew
Anney Ozar is known for The Happytime Murders (2018), Bear in the Big Blue House (1997) and The Beaver (2011).- Actor
- Editor
- Editorial Department
Camden Toy is best known for playing some of the creepiest and scariest villains on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He played one of the Gentlemen in the Emmy Award nominated episode "Hush", the skin eating demon Gnarl, and the recurring role of the all powerful Ubervamp. He also appeared on the fifth season of Angel as The Prince of Lies. Toy was a series regular on both the Emmy Award winning series The Bay, and the television sitcom Goodnight Burbank.- Art Director
- Set Decorator
- Director
Jack Okey was born on 3 June 1889 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an art director and set decorator, known for Out of the Past (1947), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Outlaws of the Sea (1923). He was married to Marie. He died on 8 January 1963 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Christopher Darga was born in the USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Bruce Almighty (2003) and Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (2003).- Visual Effects
- Director
- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Cliff Osmond was born on 26 February 1937 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Streets of San Francisco (1972), The Front Page (1974) and The Penitent (1988). He was married to Gretchen Lee Petty. He died on 22 December 2012 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.- Volkan Eryaman was born on February 3rd, 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is an American actor of Turkish descent known for The Taqwacores (2010) and Price for Freedom (2015). Volkan studied Acting and Sociology at Hunter College (CUNY) where he also played NCAA basketball. His handles are sick and he's got a post game.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Editorial Department
Chet, born Chetin Hüsrev Göle in Cincinnati, OH; is a Turkish-American actor, writer, comedian is from Versailles, KY and graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism at Arizona State University. After college, he moved to New York City for 7 years working in late-night television while pursuing acting and screenwriting. Chet now lives in Los Angeles and has appeared on Billions (2016), Girl Code (2013), as well as Mafia Dad (2016) - a film he wrote, produced and starred in.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actress
Raised in San Diego, California, Galás was born to Greek Orthodox parents, who always encouraged her gift for piano. Galás studied a wide range of musical forms, as well as visual-art performance, and then moved to to Europe where she made her performance debut at the Festival d'Avignon in France in 1979, performing the lead in the opera, "Un Jour Comme Un Autre," by composer Vinko Globokar, based upon the Amnesty International documentation of the arrest and torture of a Turkish woman for alleged treason.
Releasing her first recorded work in 1982, Galás' numerous musical and theatrical works include the pivotal "Plague Mass" (1990), the haunting mass for People with Aids, "Vena Cava"(1992), the solo voice and electronic work concerning AIDS dementia and clinical depression, "Schrei 27" (1996), which deals with torture in isolation, and the concerts/recordings of "Malediction and Prayer," (1998), "Judgement Day," "Concert for the Damned," and "The Masque of the Red Death" (1984 to 1988). Galás is working (as of 2005) on the composition and commissioning of the opera "Nekropolis."- Baris Kislak is a Turkish / American actor born in Cape Canaveral, Florida. As the only child of an expatriate family he grew up in Spain, Turkey, Germany and finally UK where he studied Computer Science & Management Studies as a higher degree. His commitment to discovering new perspectives in acting and his instinct to help others brought him also a career in acting coaching. He is now teaching his own approach in one of the leading acting academies in Turkey. Fluent in Turkish, Spanish, English and German Baris has shown performance in a wide range of characters. From an Italian prince, to a naive rural man he is most known for his character Adem in the IEMMY award winning Endless Love (Kara Sevda) and as Altan from TV series Vuslat.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Composer
Özlem Tekin is a Turkish singer, TV show host and occasional actress, primarily known for her music. Though she started out in the hard rock genre, her music has progressed to incorporate different styles such as house, punk, pop and Turkish folk music.
Özlem Tekin was born in California, United States into a Turkish-American family. Her father Talat Tekin was a prominent Turkologist and an Altaicist at UC Berkeley. The Tekins moved to Turkey when she was four years old. Özlem grew up in Ankara, where she studied classical western music at the Hacettepe University Music Conservatory in Ankara, specializing in the clarinet.
She started out as the vocalist in The Bad. The Bad was an underground rock band like most other rock bands and they would perform gigs at clubs, often playing covers of other popular bands. In 1993, she met Sebnem Ferah, who has now also become another recognized rock musician in Turkey, and became the keyboard player of the successful all-female rock band Volvox. Özlem occasionally performed as the lead singer as well.
While still in Volvox, she met Hakan Peker and they started working on her debut solo album in 1994. This album, Kime Ne (who cares?), was eventually released in January 1996 to widespread critical acclaim. The first single Ask Herseyi Affeder Mi? (Does love forgive everything?), written by Barlas Erinç shot to the top of the charts. Other hit tracks include Duvaksiz Gelin (Bride without a veil) and Herkes Sansli Dogmuyor (Not everyone is born lucky).
Then, Özlem Tekin left Hakan Peker's record label and went to Istanbul Plak which also had acquired other popular singers such as Tarkan. Her second album Öz was released in February 1998. This spawned Yol which became an enormous hit.
Özlem started up her own TV show on Kanal D called Yaz Rüzgari (Summer Wind) in 2000. This aired for 1 hour, 5 days a week and received high ratings. In 2003 she started acting in the TV series "Sil Bastan" (From the Beginning). This show aired for 2 years, also with high ratings.
In 2005, she starred in the stage musical "Mucizeler Komedisi" (The Comedy of Miracles). That same year, her new album "10987654321" was released, which presented a much harder sound than her previous efforts.
In 2006, she acted in the Cem Yilmaz movie "The Magician (2006)" (The Trickster). In the same year, she also featured in the TV movie "Maçolar (2006)".
In 2007, she had a role in another TV movie "Fesupanallah (2007)" as well as acting on stage with the famous Metin Serezli in a theater show named "Kim O". She also featured in duets with up and coming musicians during the year. (Ozturk's "Ben Uyurken," Badem's "Kalpsiz")
In 2008, she started a new TV programme at Kral TV, one of the most established national music channels in Turkey. The programme's name is "Hiperaktif" (hyperactive) after Özlem's character. Also in 2008 she featured with Turkish singer Misa, in his song "Dost Kalamam".
In 2010, after a long break since her last album, she released her sixth studio album, "Bana Bi'sey Olmaz". One of the old tracks, "Sil Bastan", which she wrote for the TV series with the same name, is in this album. She also recorded "Sen Anla" which was written by her and vocalized, and used by a famous Turkish singer, Levent Yüksel, in his earlier album. One of the interesting things about new album is that she interpreted a famous Anatolian folk song "Hey Onbesli" as "Aslan Yarim", in her own musical style. The first video clip from this album was "Yatagim Bos". After a while, second video clip "Kimse Bilmez" started to appear on TV channels. Third video clip "Sen Anla" was released and had a better popularity than the previous singles.- Director
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Involved in severe auto accident in 1997. Uses prosthetic limbs (left leg and left hand). Also lost vision in right eye in same accident. Handles behind-the-camera duties using jerry-rigged tools of his own design.
Attended Our Lady of Mercy School, Potomac, Maryland - 1969-1977 and Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC - 1977-1981.
Attended New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York, New York- 1983-1985.
Served on an unnamed Alasken fishing vessel from 1983-1985.
Served as a merchant marine for two years after college in order to find his emotional center. Nearly jailed by Turkish authorities in 1987.- Actor
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Muhammed Esen is a Los Angeles based Turkish-American actor. He was a professional athlete till he injured his knee. He still plays different kind of sport such as soccer, basketball, horseback riding, running, tennis, swimming. After graduating from Engineering school, he started in a tech company in 2018 while taking acting and filming classes in Istanbul. He had been involved in some projects as an actor. After a while, he moved to the United States and carried on engineering in 2021.
He quit engineering and moved to Los Angeles to pursuit his acting career and continued his training at Los Angeles Acting Conservatory. He studied different techniques such as 'Stella Adler', 'Stanislavski', 'Meisner', 'Lee Strasberg', 'Uta Hagen'. He's been involved in several projects as an actor.- Additional Crew
- Director
- Actor
Tanner Akman is an actor, writer, and director who moved to Los Angeles in 2015 soon after graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a double major in film and philosophy. His Turkish-born parents both moved to the United States and met in New Jersey where he was born in the town of Paterson.. He is also fluent in Turkish. Akman initially began with crew work, but now pursues both acting and comedy.- John Turk was born on 13 March 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Prison Break (2005) and Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997). He has been married to Julia Shalom Jordan since 22 August 2003.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Aslihan Güner was born on 17 December 1987 in Istanbul, Turkey. She is an actress, known for Kuzey Yildizi (2019), Selam: Bahara Yolculuk (2015) and Dirilis: Ertugrul (2014). She has been married to Mert Kiliç since 9 June 2013.- Actor
- Producer
Tolgahan Sayisman was born on 17 December 1981, in Istanbul, Turkey. After Ottoman Empire collapsed, his paternal grandfather is of Turkish descent who immigrated from Thessaloniki (now, in Greece). His paternal grandmother is of Albanian descent. During high school years, Tolgahan was involved in sports such as football, basketball. Also, he won awards in some sportive area which are tennis and swimming. Moreover, he joined some school actives about music and acting. Sayisman started his modeling life when he was young. He became First Runner Up in Best Model Of Turkey 2002. Furthermore, he won Manhunt International 2005, held in Busan, South Korea. Sayisman's earliest credited roles were in Esir Kalpler, Macolar and Dicle. His breakthrough role is in hit period series "Elveda Rumeli". He joined in fantasy series Acemi Cadi (2006) of Turkish adaptation "Sabrina The Teenage Witch", "Kavak Yelleri" Turkish adaptation of Dawson's Creek and "Hepsi 1" series of girl music group. He played in period film Surgun and "Bizans Oyunlari"(2016) which remake of period comedy 'Kahpe Bizans'(2000). His romantic comedy films are Ask Tutulmasi alongside Fahriye Evcen, Ask Geliyorum Demez alongside Berguzar Korel, Eski Sevgili alongside Bade Iscil. TV series Lale Devri had shown in Fox TV is the second significant work for abroad. He has received numerous awards and nominations for acting Cinar Ilgaz. Some of the awards that he won are International Altin Cinar Basari Odülü, Kristal fare , Kultur University best young actor, magazinci.com best TV actor, Aka college best young talented actor, Zirve University 2013, Oyuncular Sitesi 2013 The best actor who has Group of Fan. He is still continuing his career acting the lead character Yigit Kozanoglu in the famous TV serial Asla Vazgecmem.- Actress
- Producer
Nazan Eckes was born on 9 May 1976 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is an actress and producer, known for NAZIM, African Race - Die verrückte Jagd nach dem Marakunda (2008) and Crazy Race 3 - Sie knacken jedes Schloss (2006). She has been married to Julian Khol since 30 June 2012. They have two children. She was previously married to Claus Eckes.- Berk Ozturk is known for Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022), Sanzelize Dügün Salonu (2023) and Kuduz.
- Sylvia Arslan was born on 7 November 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Moon Over Her Shoulder (1941), Sheriff of Cimarron (1945) and Great Stagecoach Robbery (1945).
- Aydin Eyikan was born on 9 April 2003 in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.
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Alev Aydin was born on 17 March 1983 in Syosset, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Small Shots (2017), Controller and HipMen: Los Angeles (2017).- Actor
- Casting Director
Alex Demir was born in N.Y. He grew up in the Bronx and during his high school years his family moved to Westchester County. His father passed away suddenly when Alex was a young boy. With no male role model to guide him Alex started getting into trouble with the law and found himself in jail on several occasions. In his own words- "I was lost, clueless. I became some kind of a maniac".
Eventually, at the suggestion of a friend from the neighborhood, Alex began taking acting classes at the famed H.B. Studios in the West Village section of Manhattan. There he received encouragement from several of the teachers including Tony Award and Academy Winner Sandy Dennis. He has stated- "It was the first time anyone ever told me that I was good at anything.......anything legal ".
Alex made his debut on the off Broadway stage in Albert Camus'- "Caligula"
After working in several more plays and being told constantly that he should be in front of a camera and that he needed to be in Hollywood, he eventually drove across country and settled in Los Angeles.
His work has been described as; "explosive", "powerful", "wonderfully natural", "honest".- Ayça Aysin Turan (born in Sinop) is a Turkish actress. She continued her education in the Department of Radio, Cinema and Television in Istanbul University. She was educated in Sinop Municipal Conservatory.
In 2011; she played "Gülfem" in "Dinle Sevgili" TV series.
The main output of the actress was with "Ada" in Karagül TV series. Karagül stepped into publishing life in 2013.
Her first feature film is "Sevimli Tehlikeli" directed by Özcan Deniz in 2015.
She played her first lead role in "Meryem" TV series as "Meryem".
In 2018, She acted as "Leyla Sancak" in Netflix's first Turkish Original series "The Protector". - Actress
- Writer
- Director
Director, writer and character actress Toni Kalem was born in the suburbs of New Jersey. She began her acting career in the late 70s, and her first prominent part was in The Wanderers (1979), as Despie. She's also done soap opera and TV work, and is best known for her excellent performance as Angie Bonpensiero, the long-suffering wife on The Sopranos (1999).
Kalem was much taken by Anne Tyler's third novel, "A Slipping-Down Life," originally published in 1970. At the time she read it, Kalem herself was questioning her acting career, which at the time meant waiting for that next Italian-girl role, and she felt an affinity with the novel's bipolar protagonist, who is on a quest for healing and her place in the world. (Kalem had originally discovered the book while working as a secretary at Random House.) Despite lacking the industry leverage of a big star, Kalem was determined to make the book into a movie, optioned it in 1984 and then spent fifteen years struggling to get it made, saving much of her actress income to help finance the project. A testament to her perseverance, A Slipping-Down Life (1999) was finally adapted for the big screen, with Kalem at the helm as director.
Kalem also wrote the screenplay adaptation, and has written for The Sopranos as well.
The tiny, attractive Kalem is almost always cast as a hard-edged Italian-American, but is actually of Jewish ancestry.- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Producer
Kent Beyda is an American film editor who is known for editing many types of features including comedy, drama, horror, and animation. Among his credits are This is Spinal Tap, Gremlins 2, Fright Night, and the two Angry Birds movies. He has worked extensively with Billy Crystal, most recently on Here Today. With Allan Arkush he worked on the rock comedies Rock 'n Roll High School and Get Crazy.- Sound Department
- Additional Crew
John P. Livadary was born on 20 May 1896 in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]. He is known for Pal Joey (1957), The Men in Her Life (1941) and The Eddy Duchin Story (1956). He died on 7 April 1987 in Newport Beach, California, USA.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Richard is a veteran of Film and Television with an incredibly diverse body of work.
His career began with a series of cult, genre, and family film films including the Quentin Tarantino favorite "Vice Girls," the Genesis Award winning, "The Bike Squad," and the groundbreaking "Call of the Wild 3D."
"InSight" was theatrically released to critical acclaim Yahoo Movies calling it "Well Directed and Acted From Start to Finish." The feature starring Natalie Zea, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Christopher Lloyd was later picked up by A&E Networks for it's World Television Premiere.
Subsequently, Richard Directed and Produced seven consecutive feature films that were picked up by A&E: "Imaginary Friend" starring Ethan Embry, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Schul, and Paul Sorvino, "In The Dark," starring Elisabeth Rohm, Sam Page, and Shannon Elizabeth, "The Good Mother," starring Helen Slater, Jean Louisa Kelly, Patrick Fabian and Beverly D' Angelo, "Non-Stop," starring Lacey Chabert, Drew Seeley, Will Kemp, and Veronica Cartwright, and "The Wrong Woman" (The Highest Rated Acquisition of All Time) starring Danica McKellar, Jonathan Bennett, Dina Meyer and Jim O'Heir, "Expecting Amish" which premiered as the Highest Rated Cable Program starring A J Michalka, Alyson Stoner, Jean Luc Bilodeau, and Jesse McCartney, and "Mommy I Didn't Do It," starring Danica McKellar, Jonathan Bennett and Jen Lilley.
Richard's western, Justice, starring Nathan Parsons, Stephen Lang, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Jackson Rathbone, and Ellen Holman was picked up by Universal for theatrical and then digital release.
He also recently directed two films for The Hallmark Channel, "A Gingerbread Romance," starring Tia Mowry and Duane Henry, and "A Feeling of Home" starring Nathan Parsons, Jonna Walsh and Robbie Benson.
Richard was just nominated (2020) for an Emmy as a Producer on the popular Amazon Series "The Bay."
Additionally, Richard was a producer on both Steve Boyum's Fox feature "Supercross" and the 2010 Toronto Discovery Award Winner "Beautiful Boy" which starred Michael Sheen and Maria Bello.
A graduate of USC, Richard lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
- Additional Crew
Angela C. Tortu is an assistant director and director, known for Crimson Tide (1995), Waterworld (1995) and Broken Arrow (1996).- Director
- Cinematographer
- Editor
Shevaun Mizrahi is a director and cinematographer whose work explores time and memory using an experimental approach ranging from cinema verité to magical realism. Her film Distant Constellation premiered at Locarno Festival 2017 winning the Jury Special Mention Award. Shevaun shot and directed Distant Constellation as a one-woman crew over a 6-year period. Its visual language has been compared by critics to Andrei Tarkovsky, Pedro Costa, Roy Andersson and Jia Zhangke. The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and included in Film Comment's "Best Undistributed Films of 2017."
For many years, Shevaun worked as an assistant to cinematographer Ed Lachman. In 2015, she was selected by Filmmaker Magazine as one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film and prior to that she was a Marcie Bloom Fellow in Film, via Sony Pictures Classics. Shevaun's films have been screened at BFI London Film Festival, IDFA, Jeonju International Film Festival (Best Picture Prize), the Viennale (FIPRESCI Critics Prize), Seville Film Festival (New Waves Non-Fiction Award), Göteborg Film Festival, BAMcinemaFest and True/False. Her work has received support from the IFP Documentary Lab, IFP Project Forum, !f Istanbul DocLab, the True/False Catapult Lab, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) New York Women in Film & Television, and the Turkish New Film Fund.
Shevaun received her B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience and English Literature with minors in Anthropology and Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. She then did her M.F.A. at the Graduate Film program of NYU. Before shifting to film, Shevaun was a Presidential Scholar in the Arts for photography and had images exhibited at the Smithsonian of American Art which are now in their permanent collection.- Visual Effects
- Additional Crew
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Sinan Ozturk was born on 25 January 1980. He is a director and assistant director, known for The Pit (2016), The Bad Penny (2021) and No Mercy (2024).- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
Jon Kilik graduated from the University of Vermont in 1978 where he studied film under Frank Manchel and Vivian Sobcheck. Jon moved to NYC in 1979 and started developing screenplay ideas with his NJ friend, Paul Mones. Kilik and Mones sold their first screenplay, 'Delamer Park', in 1980 but it was never produced. Kilik held a variety of production jobs on various features from 1979-1986 (No Nukes, Stardust Memories, Sophie's Choice, The Verdict, Tootsie, The King of Comedy, Maria's Lovers, Crocodile Dundee, Prizzi's Honor, and Raising Arizona) while he and Mones continued to seek financing for their screenplays. In 1986 Kilik and Mones were able to secure financing for their first feature, "The Beat", with Vestron Pictures. Kilik produced with Julia Phillips and Nick Wechsler. Mones wrote and directed. 'The Beat' was released by Vestron in 1987. That same year, David Picker introduced Jon to Spike Lee. Spike was working on a screenplay for what became 'Do The Right Thing'. This was the beginning of a collaboration that has produced 14 features over 25 years from 'Do The Right Thing' to 'Mike Tyson, The Undisputed Truth". Kilik has produced over 30 other features by directors such as Oliver Stone, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Bennett Miller, Jim Jarmusch, Julian Schnabel, Robert De Niro, Tim Robbins and Gary Ross. He has received 2 Golden Globe Awards; Best Picture "Babel", and Best Foreign Film "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly" and an Oscar nomination. He returned to The University of Vermont in 2003 to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver the commencement address. In 2012 he returned home to NJ to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver the commencement address at Monmouth University. In 2013, Kilik delivered the Keynote address at the IFP at Lincoln Center where he challenged other, gloomier accounts of the state of cinema.- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew